My to do list changed

I'm a suicide survivor.
My to do list used to consist of a few random mundane daily tasks

• feed the kitties
• check emails

My daily to do list revised quickly 2 years ago.

• save my life

It's easy to get lost in the sea of emails, phone calls, texts.  As a survivor, there is always that lingering word of recovery.  Recovery means a new way of life, less friends, less drinking, weekly appointments, daily pills, side effects, weight gain, new boundaries and a hypersensitivity to mental illness stigma. 

Conversely, it also means hope, faith, grace, love, patience, kindness, clarity, strength, understanding and serenity.  

I write this today as a reality check for us all. 
We live in our own bubble.  
It is Tuesday.  Only day 2 of the week yet already I have had a friend admitted into Peachford and a text telling me of a suicide of a husband and father.  

People, it's complicated yet at the same time so simple.
A brain can get sick.  
You may have the flu, I have mental illness.  We both are sick.  

The American Psychiatric Association Foundation has a Campaign to Change Direction hoping to change the way America addresses mental health issues.  
With 1 in every 4-5 people having a diagnosable mental health condition, we should all make it a point to "know the five signs."  

1. Personality Change          4. Poor Self-Care

2. Agitation                           5. Hopelessness
3. Withdrawal 

I don't have all the answers but I do know that reaching out to someone could be the exact hope, answer, kindness they need.